Good morning ladies,

We got bad news last night. Tony's uncle passed away last week It was his mom's brother. She had been trying to call him but just got through last night. I feel so bad for Tony. It really sucks having all your family in another country and not being able to be with them whenever something like this happens. Tony feels really bad because we didn't visit this particular uncle in December when we were in Jamaica. We just ran out of time. Now he feels bad and guilty Do you guys have any ideas of how I can help him feel better and get through this difficult time? Please keep us in your thoughts.

anntaylor-

we filed everything at once. I don't think it slowed anything. If anything, I think it almost made it go faster. From the day we filed everything to GreenCard it was 5months. I feel like we wasted money on EAD/AP becuase 5 months would've been reasonable to wait for a savings of $400 approx. But you never know how long it can take. I say apply for everything. Imagine if something happened in JA and you needed to go. Without filing AP you have to wait...and that would be awful.


D




I have a question. When you go online to the booking page, it shows no available appointments. Does this change after you efile the form? Also, if I have a paymaster ticket (still valid) that we bought 8 months ago, will that work? Do you have to punch in the code somewhere online? I am probably going to attempt this today, so any info would help.

Thanks a million.

D

Anna -- Everything does happen for a reason. Look at this as a "mini" vacation.

Joanna -- Your time is coming!!! It's about time we get some good news here......I think we are a bit overdue!!

Babyjules -- I flew Spirit to Jamaica in December. It was cheap and okay but you kind get treated like cattle. Our flight was late (very) leaving Kingston and when we got to Ft. Lauderdale there was NOBODY around to help us (many of us had connections what were about to leave) and we had to get through Immigration and Customs. Other airlines would at least let you know the status of your connecting flight. Turns out, my flight was delayed an hour so I was fine -- I would have loved to know that before I tried to get through Customs -- the guy almost pulled me off to the side because I was so jumpy.....I say, you get what you pay for. I mean, it was fine and I paid under $300.00 for a roundtrip ticked from Chicago.

Rhonda -- So sorry about Tony's uncle......

Jamie -- I have two dobermans and a shepard mix. I LOVE big dogs.

[quote name='doodle' date='Feb 1 2006, 09:03 AM' post='7101']
anntaylor-

we filed everything at once. I don't think it slowed anything. If anything, I think it almost made it go faster. From the day we filed everything to GreenCard it was 5months. I feel like we wasted money on EAD/AP becuase 5 months would've been reasonable to wait for a savings of $400 approx. But you never know how long it can take. I say apply for everything. Imagine if something happened in JA and you needed to go. Without filing AP you have to wait...and that would be awful.

I agree with Darah. We filed for AP, EAD, and AOS all at once. We never actually used the AP since Tony got his Greencard before we went back to Jamaica, but I would rather have it in case of an emergency or something.

Doodle ~ Are you talking aboue trying to make an appointment for someone to get a visitors visa? If so we went to http://210.177.22.41/kingston/make_barcode.asp and typed in the bar code off the visa application and it showed us what dates are avaiable for interviews...or have you already done that?? That was back in July so as you know thing might have changed again.


Althoug I did just read this:
Fees: A visa application fee of $100 U.S. dollars must be paid (in Jamaican dollars at the exchange rate set by the U.S. Embassy) for the NIV interview through your local Paymaster Jamaica Limited branch. Once the application fee is paid, Paymaster will schedule the appointment through the Embassy appointment booking page, http://210.177.22.41/kingston/.

So, maybe now you have to have the paymaster make the appointment for you instead of being able to do it yourself?

Joanna

cool thanks. I'm going send Squito's mom and invitation letter tomorrow.

Good afternoon all!!

joanna,
i'm doing just what you told me. there just aren't any visible appointments. i'm waiting for henry on his lunch break and we are going to efile it. hopefully something will open up after we've efiled...what do you think?

i only sending the ds156 because she is under 6

Michigan only had 65 so don't feel bad Jamie It looks like most of them are going to New York and Florida. So Squitto, Popcorn, Elizabeth, & Joanna - you guys are in the right place I think Miami is the 2nd largest Jamaican population in the U.S. after NYC.

Doodle, I didnt know you could efile? We just printed it with the bar code, paid at the paymaster and got the appointment online...did you read that other bit that I posted about making the appointment at the paymaster....if all else fails try to call the paymaster let them know you have a reciept and see if they can make the appointment for you. (just a thought)

WELL, i just efiled the form, printed it, used the barcode and my paymaster reciept to make an appointment. just as i had suspected, when you efile, available appointments magically appear. henry's baby mother will have to go to kingston 2/13...less than 2 weeks. since the daughter is only 5 i have to see what types of things we need to fed ex down this week, besides the original form and paymaster reciept...

thanks so much joanna...any one with questions about it...shoot! it'll be interesting to see what happens on the 13th.

Good Afternoon all,
Well the hope night job finally hit me last night when I got home. It's okay for the most part but I wanted to through another hand of pardna to pay off these stupid parking tickets my baby father created. I have no idea what I'm going to do...I tried going online to Monster to look for something else but everything was 3rd shift (can't do that one). Well I'm sure I'll find another way out just wish I could magically make those tickets go away. lol. Just wishful thinking...

How is everyone day today? It's quiet in here not much going on...

Joanna I hope you hear something soon it's been a long time. Maybe you're next.

Hola peoples,

I am supposed to be moving to North Carolina (I'm scurred.LOL) in a few years. Other than my aunt and uncle, I wonder how many "Caribs" are out there.

Hi Everyone!

Just checking in. I had my computer worked on today and picked up Anthony. I will be taking him back to work at 5:30. The stamp expires in this month. There should be a temporary EAD while you wait so that you can keep the job you got when you got the POE stamp authorizing you to work the 90 days.

[quote name='rhondapayter' date='Feb 1 2006, 10:35 AM' post='7214']
[quote name='doodle' date='Feb 1 2006, 09:03 AM' post='7101']
anntaylor-

we filed everything at once. I don't think it slowed anything. If anything, I think it almost made it go faster. From the day we filed everything to GreenCard it was 5months. I feel like we wasted money on EAD/AP becuase 5 months would've been reasonable to wait for a savings of $400 approx. But you never know how long it can take. I say apply for everything. Imagine if something happened in JA and you needed to go. Without filing AP you have to wait...and that would be awful.

I agree with Darah. We filed for AP, EAD, and AOS all at once. We never actually used the AP since Tony got his Greencard before we went back to Jamaica, but I would rather have it in case of an emergency or something.
[/quote]


Thanks a lot. I didn't think it made any difference but just wanted to hear from those with experience.

I live in NC What part of NC will you be moving to?

Hi all!

Well the puppies are doing good. We took them to the vet and they have everything we suspected…fleas, worms, and they are malnourished. Other than that they are doing great and she says they should make some great dogs once we get some food into them and get them back up to regular strength. She estimates that they are 8-10 weeks old (more than likely 10) and that they are some sort of Shepard/Collie mix…great companionship dogs. They are pretty smart and are learning quickly. Andre is having a blast and its definitely keeping him busy. Puppies are a lot of work but we had planned on getting a puppy in the next couple of months…so we were prepared…at least partly.




So sorry to hear that Rhonda Will you guys be going down to JA? Please give Tony our condolences




I am so glad it worked out for you Darah!!! Good luck when the interview comes

How long are you hoping to have his daughter come up for?



Any particular reason you are moving to NC? I hear its a great place Don't be scurred


Wow this ended up being a really long post...sorry about that. I like the new board but how are we ever suppose to get more hearts

Ok I have a question for one of our VJ members that is not active in this thread...you guys remember Robert? He has recieved packet 3, I PM'ed him to make sure he gets that no marriage cert. thing and he Pm'ed me back asking which address to send the DS230 form to:

Embassy of the United States of America
2 Oxford Road
Kingston 5
Jamaica West Indies

OR

Consular Section
American Embassy
Post Office Box 541
Kingston 5, Jamaica

Can any one answer this and I will PM him back with the info. thanks joanna

Rhonda ~ So sorry to hear about Tonys uncle...are ya'll going to JA soon?

Hope everyone is having a good day...I and seeimg more people posting approvals from Nov. I hope mine is soon...and I sure hope we dont get Administrative review...that would really suck!!!!

Good evening everyone,

Sorry to hear about Tony's Uncle, Rhonda, you have my condolences.

Good to hear about your pups, Jamie, one of my dogs is an Australian Sheppard mix.

Hope everyone is having a good evening, had a wonderful day, and will have a great tomorrow.

Hello, when the appointment page came up, how far in advance could you make an appointment?
Did it go all the way out to May or was it just for the next couple of months?
Thanks.

Was trying to add a pic of the dress but I am unable to. I will give the item number
Go to Davidsbridal.com and the dress or item number is V8472. It is hard to tell in the pic but it is form fitting at the top and the straps fall right on the edge of my shoulders and then it is A-line (big full bottom) with a long train. Satin with lots of beads and sequins. I love it!!!

After spending most of the day at Friend of the Court I found out that my ex doesnt have any Parenting Time rights (visitation). He failed to show up to a default hearing so I was granted custody Granted this is not gonna prevent him from coming to snatch her out of the yard but it does give me the right to tell him to forget seeing her. He has only seen her 5 times in 7 years. Tashi is having a problem with this (partly because this child is the one he has bonded with the most) because he thinks something bad will happen to her if I let him have visitation and he doesnt want Brittny to be confused about her "daddy". I told Tashi that she is not gonna remember a sperm donor but she will remember who is there tucking her in and reading her bedtime stories. I will keep you all posted.
Blessings,
Rita

Glad to hear things are going good with you Rita...I checked out your dress, I think I have seen it in the store....very very pretty!!! you will look fabulous

Thank you JoJo and the best part is .....its an 18 Now I just have to find a pic of my ring to share.

Hola peoples,

I am supposed to be moving to North Carolina (I'm scurred.LOL) in a few years. Other than my aunt and uncle, I wonder how many "Caribs" are out there.
[/quote]


Your aunt and uncle
I live in a small community where there is a very large, old resort. Everybody and their mother works there because there is very little employment elsewhere. Since the 1960's, they have brought Jamaicans to work there. They come in March and work until November or December, depending on the climate(snow). Many have married and settled here or married and moved on. I hear that they have sister hotels in NC and SC, that do the same thing, I have no idea exactly where they are located, but maybe they will be close to you.


I never can get this thing to do right, this was suppose to be a reply to Elizabethnhenry.



Glad to hear everything is working in you favor, Rita and glad you are back on

together----to answer your question, i honestly didn't look. it opened up a bunch in February and March. From my perspective it was very easy to do, so I wouldn't do it until you are ready to go to the interview soon. EXCEPT if its around xmass or summer...that's when it will get busier.

jamie-----getting this visa would be so great because his daughter can continue to see him and start travelling to america. We both think its so important to keep a good relationship and henry would love to have her for 1 month in the summer, maybe some xmass's....i want her to gain the experience and so does henry. Also, it will be much cheaper for her to fly here and stay with us in our house then both of us flying down and spending lots of money and doing a couple days in hotels, etc. it's a big savings. It would be nice if not every one of our vacations were to JA every year too...we both have other places we want to go. Does anyone know if a 6 year old can fly alone?

an update on the appointment. we spoke to the mother last night and the date we picked didn't work for her...so i just went online and entered my password, etc. and it let me change the date to 2/27/06 at 9:45...which was what she wanted. it's not as much of a rush that way...


I'll be around all day

No, we are unable to go to Jamaica again so soon. We just can't afford it (especially since we already booked our trip to Punta Cana ) Tony hasn't even mentioned going down there - I think he knows we just can't do it right now.

Hope you get your NOA2 really soon

Darah,
I agree with you, it would be cheaper for us too! We'd like to bring Tony's daughter up here but she's also (almost) 6 years old and I'm worried about her flying alone. I'm not sure how that works. Obviously someone would have to guide her through security, to her gate, make sure she gets on the plane ok and finds her seat, etc... Not to mention going through Immigration by herself. I'm not sure what process they have in place for children flying alone, especially from outside the country Tony also has a son who's only 2 1/2 but I think he's too young to be away from his mother yet. Maybe when he gets older. Good luck with everything, sorry I don't have an answer for you.

Jamie -- what are your children's names? Boys and/or girls??

Happy Thursday Everbody!!!

With regard to NC:

Hi Kimone!! - Well right now - my aunt and uncle are in the Gas House (Gastonia) and my cousins live and work in Charlotte. My mom is building a house outside Gastonia. Any business world connections that I have (clients, classmates, etc.) are in Charlotte. But I like Asheville and some other places.


Jamie: No particular reason for choosing NC - we want to move South soon and have relatives in FL, GA, AL and NC. So each group makes a pitch as to why we should move to their state.LOL So right now NC has the floor.

Jamie,

I'm so excited for you guys getting the new puppies That's a great way to keep Andre happy & occupied. It's also a great time to have new puppies when someone will be home with them all day. I have a 3 year old yellow labrador retriever named Harley. I just love him I was working a lot of hours when I first got him and it took me forever to potty train him because I wasn't home enough. So in that sense, now is the perfect time for you guys to get puppies since Andre isn't working yet. We want to see pics of your new babies!

good morning all!!!

Rita, that dress is beautiful. I saw someone trying it on a couple weeks ago! Great choice.

Squito and I are big into our big wedding planning. We booked our photographer and videographers last night. Now all we need is a dj and florist

Good Morning

I looked up some of the major airlines and it seems that the standard age to travel alone is 5 years or older. So you are ok! Do a search with your airline for unaccompanied minor/international travel. It seems there is a lot of limitations on what types of flights and what time the flights can be. There also seems to be a fee for some of the airlines. Definitely check it out.

Here are some of the links I found

NWA

United

US Air

Continental





Yeah its working out perfectly. Andre is getting a little frustrated but I always gently remind that he is the one that wanted the puppies and agreed to take care of them There are adorable but FULL of energy





The dress is spectacular

Glad things worked out with your daughter




Both boys...Milo and Nemo...don't ask

jamie...thanks for the info. it really helps. the only thing is there are virtually no non-stop flights from boston to jamrock.

hmmmmm. i'll have to think about this one.

d

Hi Dru! How do you like your australian sheppard? I have been hearing some bad things About how big is your dogs (pounds?)





If I remember right there was an airline that would allow transfers as long as it was during the day and not overnight. Definitely shop around for the airline that will allow the most/what you need.

Milo & Nemo???? Animation fans???? Those are great names. We MUST see pictures soon!!!!

LOL

Well Milo came from the movie Milo and Otis...not sure how that came in the mix.

Nemo...well when I was in JA with Andre last Christmas we were watching the movie Finding Nemo when we heard the most awful cries outside the window. We go out there to find this little little puppy being attacked by 2 bigger dogs So we rescued it and fixed it up and gave it some food. It was a cute puppy. So we named it Nemo. Andre and I kept it on his little veranda in a box and he was staying by a church. The very next day there was funeral at the church and someone STOLE our puppy out of the box on the veranda. The grill was shut and he couldn't fit through the bars so someone had to open it up and take him out of the box...he couldn't get out on his own. It was so sad So in honor of our stolen puppy we know have Nemo.

That's really sweet Jamie. Good luck with the little ones!! They can be a handful but it's all worth it in the end -- about two years from now

Last night I explained the correlation between having puppies and having babies. Getting up in the night, not getting very much sleep, having to watch them closely etc. So with these 2 puppies I think I successfully delayed the "baby train" by another 2-3 years

Oh yeah....so much is alot alike!! BUT, you can put these children outside and leave them there for hours....with "human" children -- DCFS would be on your doorstep immediately!!

So true

Andre couldn't believe how tired he was and how much energy these dogs are taking out of him. He called me to tell me he is soooo tired. Welcome to puppyhood. My mom is the one that is really cracking me up. She is telling everyone she has grandpuppies and wants pics to show off Definitely a side of her I haven't seen

Oh my gosh, that sounds JUST like my mom I have a male dog and my sister has a female dog - she calls them her grandson & granddaughter or "grandpuppies" She has pics of both of them displayed in her living room!

[quote name='Jme3584' date='Feb 2 2006, 11:37 AM' post='9118']
[quote name='woogietail' post='8298' date='Feb 1 2006, 05:38 PM']
Good evening everyone,

Sorry to hear about Tony's Uncle, Rhonda, you have my condolences.

Good to hear about your pups, Jamie, one of my dogs is an Australian Sheppard mix.

Hope everyone is having a good evening, had a wonderful day, and will have a great tomorrow.
[/quote]

[quote]Hi Dru! How do you like your australian sheppard? I have been hearing some bad things About how big is your dogs (pounds?)[/quote]


Dukie(his name when I got him) is a very friendly dog with females. He was abused when he was a pup I'm sure by a male. He's very protective of little children and my other dogs, but because of the abuse I watch him around other people, especially males. He's medium size, not tall or short and weighs 38 lbs. What have you heard about Australian Sheppards?

My mom called and is coming over at lunchtime with the digital camera so she can get pics right away

Bring on the insanity





I have just heard that they can be very destructive- chewing, barking all the time, digging, biting, and those kind of things if they don't have a "job" to do. That they can be very suspicious of their surroundings and that they can become very anti-social and aggressive towards people.

I also heard that they need an enormous amount of exercise to keep them from getting bored and destructive.

Will someone please tell me how to get that box around a quote that I am replying to so everyone can see the difference in what I wrote and what I am replying to

hi gals. just got back from my monthly ob/gyn visit. everything seems okay. just that i'm gaining too much weight. i gained 10lbs since my last visit. now i'm seriously convinced i'm eating way too much. even my doc says thats too much in so short a time. anyhow not much i can do about it now. i'll just try not to eat too much (yea right). but seriously, i dont want to be too overweight.

anyhow i noticed a stabbing sensation in the centre of my stomach, about 2-3 inches below my breasts. doesnt happen often, just when i lie down and try getting up and since today even when i'm sitting down. it doesnt heard, just feels a little funny. did any of you mothers experience this? the doc says it could be a result of a little hernia as my navel is not as....? as it use to be. i honestly dont remember what he said.

can someone relate with this feeling?

Maybe it's not because he was abused then. He's not destructive, he doesn't chew up things, he does like to dig when he is hot, he digs to lay in the cool dirt.

Does anyone know if a 6 year old can fly alone?


Yes on Air JA they can but you will pay a few extra bucks. When my daughter was 5 she flew back from JA all by herself and didn't have any problems. I forgot what they called it.

Woogie,
Just click on the reply button at the bottom of the message that you are trying to quote and then type your message underneath it. I don't know what the "quote" button does - it confuses me

Thank you

I did it, I did it

ok guys! Where is everyone?!?!

Its been quiet in here for the whole week

Jamie -- My parents refuse to acknowledge my dogs as their grandchildren. Last Christmas I blew up an 8x10 photo of the three of them and put it in a really nice silver frame -- gave it to them for one of their Christmas presents.

Right now it sits right in the middle of the "shrine" to my sisters children at my parents front door -- as soon as you walk in the house you see these photos. Well, every so often I go into their spare bathroom and there is the picture of the dogs. My mother thinks she is being cute by "switching out" the photos. I just put them back where they belong.

I lived above two Australian Shepards when I lived in the city. They were great dogs. Just the best. But, they did require exercise. I think that's why they had two -- so they could keep each other occupied. They also kept them in crates whenever they left the house and at night......